The Los Angeles Lakers’ playoff dreams vanished into thin air on Wednesday night. After a season full of championship hope and a blockbuster trade that brought Luka Doncic to Hollywood, the curtain closed far too early. The Minnesota Timberwolves ended it all in Game 5, sealing a 103-96 win that capped a 4-1 series victory.
In front of a stunned Crypto.com Arena crowd, the sixth-seeded Wolves didn’t just knock off a top-three seed — they exposed the very flaws that had been lurking beneath the surface of the Lakers’ hyped roster all along. As LeBron James and Luka Doncic trudged off the floor, it was impossible to ignore the echoes growing louder from TNT’s postgame desk. Charles Barkley had seen enough — and he wasn’t holding back.
“Luka can’t guard a chair,” Barkley barked during the postgame show, clearly fed up with the Lakers star’s ongoing defensive struggles. “He gotta learn to play defense and get in shape. Try getting in shape first and then it would help.”
Chuck wants to see Luka have more of a defensive impact for the Lakers pic.twitter.com/AKNy7ZK171
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 1, 2025
The former MVP didn’t mince words, slamming Doncic’s conditioning as a major red flag for the Lakers moving forward. “At some point, you just can’t go out and get big guys when he (Doncic) can’t play no damn defense,” Barkley continued. “You gotta get in shape to earn that money. He can’t guard anybody.”
It was brutal, but it wasn’t new. Doncic’s defensive limitations have long been a talking point around the league. Yet in a playoff series where the Lakers needed every ounce of resistance in the paint, it became the story. Rudy Gobert put up a monstrous 27 points and 24 rebounds in the Game 5 clincher — numbers that screamed the Lakers had no answers inside.
The Lakers’ Big Gamble, Big Failure
This was supposed to be the year LA made a run. The deadline trade that brought Luka Doncic to town in exchange for Anthony Davis was one of the boldest swings the franchise has taken in years. They paired a 26-year-old offensive genius with one of the greatest players of all time. And in moments, it worked — at least on paper.
Doncic powered through a back injury in Game 5 to drop 28 points, 9 assists, and 7 rebounds. Rui Hachimura added 23. LeBron chipped in 22. But it wasn’t enough. Not even close. The Timberwolves, despite shooting a horrific 14.9% from three (7-for-47 — the worst in NBA playoff history for a team with at least 34 attempts), still found a way to out-tough, out-muscle, and out-execute the Lakers in every key category.
Minnesota outrebounded LA 54-37. They crushed them on second-chance points (20-10), points in the paint (56-40), and bench scoring (22-4). And yes, they did it with Anthony Edwards going 0-for-11 from deep. That’s how exposed the Lakers were.
The team tried to fix its center issues at the trade deadline by acquiring Mark Williams from Charlotte, but the deal fell through — reportedly after Williams failed his physical. That left the Lakers dangerously thin down low, and the Timberwolves took full advantage.
Now, the questions come flooding in. Was this just bad timing — or a flawed experiment from the start?
Apr 25, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) looks on against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first half during game three of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
Luka Doncic is extension-eligible this summer. He led the Mavericks to the Finals last year, and while he’s shown loyalty, there’s no guarantee he sticks around if the Lakers can’t quickly assemble a roster that works. He needs a lob-catching, rim-protecting big man. He needs perimeter defenders to mask his defensive issues. And he needs a real bench.
Instead, what he got was a 5-game exit, back pain, and Barkley saying he’s out of shape on national TV. The Lakers’ entire offseason hinges on Luka’s happiness now. He has one year left on his contract. The front office cannot afford to go into next season with any doubt about his long-term future. If Doncic walks, they’ll have traded Anthony Davis for nothing.
Then there’s LeBron James. At 40 years old, he just played 46 minutes in Game 4 and 40 more in Game 5. It was admirable — even historic — but it’s not sustainable. If he doesn’t retire this summer, the Lakers still need to start thinking beyond him. The torch has clearly been passed to Luka, and it’s on Rob Pelinka and the Lakers brass to build a winner around him — fast.
This loss stings. It’s not just about the early playoff exit. It’s about wasted potential, roster mismanagement, and the fear that this whole thing could unravel in the next few months. The Lakers had dreams of reviving Showtime with a modern twist — Doncic and LeBron as Hollywood’s new marquee. Instead, they got outplayed by a team that bricked 40 threes.
Luka Doncic’s first postseason in purple and gold is over. His back is sore. His defense is under fire. And Charles Barkley is saying what a lot of Lakers fans are thinking — it’s time to get serious.
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